The relationship between elephants and humans spans centuries, with these majestic creatures playing diverse roles — from aiding in wars and hauling timber and stones to serving as symbols of status and spirituality.
Published Dec 16, 2024 | 5:44 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 23, 2024 | 1:19 PM
A captive elephant at Punnathoor Kotta, a centre for captive elephants. (Kerala Tourism)
Kerala’s love affair with elephants is as old as its traditions, woven into the grandeur of its cultural and religious festivities.
Yet, behind the shimmering caparisons and rhythmic drumbeats lies a troubling reality — the plight of captive elephants, revered as “Gods in Chains”.
With festival season around the corner, a fresh directive from the Kerala High Court on parading elephants has reignited a simmering debate: Is this bond rooted in devotion or mere spectacle, overshadowing the well-being of these gentle giants?
South First delves into the ongoing controversy, exploring the age-old tradition, the court’s intervention, the calls for compassionate change and the other side.
The relationship between elephants and humans spans centuries, with these majestic creatures playing diverse roles — from aiding in wars and hauling timber and stones to serving as symbols of status and spirituality.
In Hindu mythology, elephants are revered as the living embodiment of Lord Ganapati, symbolising prosperity and wisdom. This deep-rooted connection has left an indelible mark on Kerala, where elephants hold a special place in history, culture, and religion.
While the exact origins of elephants being part of temple rituals remain unclear, literary works provide glimpses into their historical presence.
One such work is Ashtamiprabandham by Melpathoor Narayana Bhattathiri, a renowned linguist of the late 1500s to early 1600s.
Thrissur Pooram. (Kerala Tourism)
This text describes the Ashtami festival of the Vaikom Temple, hinting at the involvement of elephants during that time.
However, it is widely believed that their association with temples predates these records by centuries.
Kerala’s profound love for elephants is evident from their prominence in the emblems of the erstwhile Travancore and Cochin kingdoms, and the current state emblem.
Elephants are not just symbols of power but are also integral to Kerala’s religious and cultural fabric.
At the same time, in their article for Gajah – Journal of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group (2019), researchers Sreedhar Vijayakrishnan and Anindya Sinha explore the practical use of elephants in temples, particularly in Kerala.
They highlight the Arattupuzha Pooram, a grand festival in Thrissur district, as the oldest recorded instance of elephants as part of temple rituals.
This annual event, believed to be 1,400 years old, features a magnificent parade of caparisoned elephants.
Historical inscriptions trace the festival’s origins back to 583 CE, but the exact timing of the elephant parades remains uncertain. Anecdotal accounts suggest that Saint Vilwamangalam witnessed a procession of 15 elephants at the Thripunithura temple in the 15th century.
Written records about elephants in temple pageantry emerged between 1700 and 1800 CE.
The Aithihyamala (Garland of Legends), written by Kottarathil Sankunni in 1909, recounts tales of legendary elephants from Malabar, Kochi, and Travancore.
The researchers also cited a notable incident from the 1780s that involved a disagreement between the Samoothiri (Zamorin) Raja of Malabar and the Maharaja of Cochin, which led the latter to withhold his elephants from the annual Guruvayur Temple festival.
The article further highlighted the British East India Company’s activities in the 1800s on the practical roles of elephants.
In Cochin, elephants were captured for the Imperial Forest Department and were extensively used for logging and transportation during the construction of the Forest Tramway.
It could be these times that the former chief conservator of forests (Kerala) Dr Brandson S Corrie, mentioned in one of his articles for the Kerala Forests.
He stated, “The people and the elephant once shared a special bond. The elephant did indeed live a life of bliss. Food and water were in plenty, care and concern were in large measure and life for the elephant was indeed glorious.”
An elephant during a procession.
Nothing could be more apt than a recent interim order of the Kerala High Court to unmask the harsh reality behind the grandeur of elephant parades in the state.
In an order issued on 13 November, a division bench comprising Justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P likened the life of a captive elephant to an “Eternal Treblinka,” borrowing the term from Charles Patterson’s Zoopolis – A Political Theory of Animal Rights.
“Treblinka” is infamous for being the second-deadliest extermination camp to be built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II.
The court noted that while elephants are extensively used in Kerala’s religious festivals under the guise of tradition, they are in reality subjected to relentless commercial exploitation, often at the cost of their well-being.
Highlighting the plight of these animals, the court observed that elephants are transported from one festival to another over nine months, including the peak summer months of April and May, with little regard for their fatigue, rest or nutrition.
The court also pointed to the rising commercialisation of festivals, where temple committees compete over the number and fame of elephants paraded. In one instance, a temple in Kochi reportedly spent ₹55 lakh on elephants for an eight-day festival, the court noted.
The court also expressed alarm at the high mortality rate of captive elephants in the state. Statistics reveal that nearly 33 percent of the 509 elephants recorded in 2018 died between 2018 and 2024, pointing to the unsustainable exploitation of the animals.
The number of captive elephants that have died in captivity between the years 2018 and 2024.
While the court refrained from passing judgements on the religious aspects, it emphasised the need to regulate elephant parades to prioritise the animals’ welfare.
Subsequently, the court issued detailed guidelines to ensure the humane treatment and welfare of elephants used in festivals.
Organisers should submit applications at least one month before the event, detailing procession routes, and venues, and providing health and fitness certificates for the elephants. These certificates must confirm that the elephants are not sick or injured and include documentation of their musth period, certified by a veterinary surgeon.
To prevent overexertion, elephants must have a minimum of three days of rest between exhibitions.
During exhibitions, organisers must ensure the animals are given sufficient food, a continuous supply of potable water, and clean tethering facilities.
Further, exhibitions must not exceed three continuous hours, and processions on public roads are restricted to times outside 9 am and 5 pm.
Strict safety measures are required at parade venues. Elephants must have sufficient space to move, with a minimum of three meters between animals, five meters from flambeaux or any fire sources, and eight meters from the public or percussion displays. Fireworks must be at least 100 meters from the animals, and barricades must separate the public from the elephants.
Soon after, the stringent guidelines became the centre of heated controversy, as it faced stiff resistance from temple committees, devotees, and even prominent Devaswoms like Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi of Thrissur Pooram fame.
The debate has sparked unique forms of protest, impassioned pleas, and sharply divided opinions across the state.
In a striking display of dissent, the Arattupuzha Sree Sastha Temple advisory committee staged a mock festival in November featuring 15 vividly adorned boards replacing live elephants.
From the mock Pooram.
Accompanied by traditional percussion ensembles, the protest was both artistic and poignant. The organisers aimed to emphasise what they call the “impracticality” of the court’s directives, which, they argue, threaten the sanctity of age-old customs.
“The Arattupuzha Pooram is 1,442 years old and involves the participation of 24 temples spread across two Lok Sabha constituencies and six Assembly constituencies,” Rajendran, a representative of the advisory committee, told South First.
“This 13-day festival is steeped in intricate rituals and customs, but adhering strictly to the guidelines makes it impossible to conduct the Pooram as it has been for centuries,” he added.
Adding fuel to the fire, the Poora Premi Sangham, an association of festival enthusiasts, took their grievances directly to Kerala High Court Chief Justice Nitin Madhukar Jamdar.
Devotees taking out a protest march against the court order
In their complaint, they not only urged the Chief Justice to quash the controversial guidelines but also demanded that the case be reassigned to another bench.
They alleged a conflict of interest, claiming that the division bench responsible for the order had links to a legal firm that once represented animal rights groups in a related writ petition.
M Balagopal of Paramekkavu Devaswom said that a meeting was convened with the help of Thiruvambadi Devaswom in November and was attended by over 1,500 people.
“Temple rituals must be conducted according to existing customs,” he told South First.
However, not everyone agrees.
Prageeth, a Thrissur native, offered a contrasting perspective: “As a child, I was mesmerised by the sight of majestic elephants. But as I grew older, I understood the cruelty involved. These animals are considered endangered under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. It’s time temples and devotees freed these ‘Gods in chains,’” he told South First.
The debate has polarised opinions, highlighting the challenges of balancing cultural heritage with animal welfare. And the state finds itself at a cultural crossroads.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
